Punjabi Chicken Vindaloo

 I am a huge fan of curry, I just love those old fashioned flock wallpaper restaurants called the Taj Mahal or The Last Viceroy, wonderful. I have tried dozens of different recipes I have even been fortunate enough to spend an evening in my local Indian Restaurants kitchen to learn a little more and this is my tried tested old faithful recipe for what I think is the best way of making a Vindaloo.

I start by marinating Chicken Breast in Black Pepper and White Wine Vinegar and a glug of Oil and Lemon juice, put it into the fridge and start making the curry.

I take a tbsp of cumin seeds 1 tbsp of Coriander seeds and a tbsp of mustard seeds and put them in a hot dry pan to toast. Make sure you don't burn them and then empty into a mortar and pestle and grind them into a powder.

Add a glug of vegetable Oil to the pan and 3 tbsp of Ghee and add 2 Onions cook them on a high heat until they start to brown, turn down the heat and add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 4 fresh chillies seeds and all.

Keep stirring and add 1tsp of Tumeric, 1 tsp ground Ginger, 1 tsp of Pimenton Picante, 2 tsp of Chilli powder and 2 tbsb of Garam Masala and a tbsp of dried Coriander

Cook through around a minute and add a ladle of Chicken Stock, then 2 tins of chopped Tomatoes and around a pint of the Chicken Stock bring it to the boil then turn down to a simmer and put the lid on so that the lid is partly ajar.

Now cook this very gently for at least 3 hours and then using a hand blender blitz around half the curry.and add 4 cubes of chocolate

Now get a griddle pan scorching hot and add the Chicken breasts so they are charred on the outside and then add to a roasting tin and put in a preheated oven at 210c for 20 minutes. Take them out and let it rest for at least ten minutes, carve into chunks and add to the Curry, squeeze in the juice of half a Lemon and sprinkle with Fresh coriander and Parsley.

Amazing the chicken is juicy not stringy I serve with a simple Raita Chapatti and Rice